If you would understand anything, observe its beginning and its development-Aristotle
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Yes, I read lots of non-fiction, not as much recently as I would like. Mostly early American History, but I have another (of many) interes...

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Wicocomino Native Lineage

William Taptico3 and
Elizabeth?? My 7th great grandparents (paternal)

and last werowance of the Wicocomino Tribe of Virginia
Chesapeake Bay area. William died in 1719 and the tribe was considered
extinct on this date.

Thanks to extensive research by many, particularly early
Virginia archeologist Helen C. Roundtree, then a DNA test by a male direct line
of my Wiley Doke Tapp7 (Vincent6, William5,
William4, William3 William2, Machywap1),
the Taptico family is now in history books and proven Amer American/Native
which ever term you view.

This William3 was the son of another
named William2, the first named Wicocomino
werowance/king (Americanized "chief"). My paternal gr gr
grandmother was Sarah Frances Tapp born 13 Feb 1859 in
Henderson, Henderson County, KY. Her father was Wiley Doke Tapp7 born
28 Apr 1835 in Henderson, Henderson County, KY. His father was Vincent
Tapp6 then dating back through the male line of 4
William’s.

I’ve been obsessed with Native history and rituals since
early childhood. I only met my biological father as an adult, about
12 years ago. Needless to say,I knew nothing of his genealogy until
I began my journey to know my ancestors about that same time.

DNA is really opening up so much. One of the
most important for me will be finding how much of native genealogy has been
suppressed. This Taptico family integrated with British settlers,
marrying British women, adapting British attire, and surviving by suppressing
their heritage. Unfortunately, this included the ownership of slaves
in Virginia.

William2 is believed to be the son of Machywap1 (documented
in Helen C. Roundtree’s scholarly researched book “Pocahontas’s
People: The Powhatan Indians of Virginia Through Four Centuries”,
page 123.) Machywap was the weroance of the Sekakowon (Chiskacone) tribe
which the English pressured to merge with the Wicocomino tribe with Machywap
being the ruler of this merger. The Wicocomino’s didn’t take kindly
to this and Machywap and his families lives were in danger. It is
believed that Machwap’s son, William, was raised with the British at this
time. This is speculative as no primary documentation at this time
can prove this emphatically, but this conclusion can explain why William2 Taptico,
King of the Wicocomico’s, was so wealthy and dressed in British
attire. HelenRountree did not make this link in her book referenced above,
published in 1990.

History's suppression of this integration between white
and natives may be why no native oral history exists for this
lineage. This is why DNA is so important to open up this long
suppression of heritage and the truth.